Damn, I love playoff hockey, and doubly so whoever slated the Division 3 Quarterfinals on the Saturday between the Division 1 (NC technically) semi-finals and the National Championship game. This year’s Frozen Four features, and this is a lot to read, the first set of 4 teams from 3 different conferences, without an ECAC school since 2013. Why did we lead with that? To focus on the resurgence of non-ECAC programs in the east turning the corner this decade. Wisconsin and Ohio State return as the top two seeds, as expected, in pursuit of their ninth and third titles, respectively, as these two programs have alternatively won every national title this decade (Ohio State called evens, so Wisconsin got odds). Northeastern joins the field for their fourth time in six seasons. Penn State joins this group for the first time. Let’s take a look at how these teams got here.

 

1. Ohio State (35-4-0)

The 2024-2025 team was exceptional, but this year’s team somehow found another level. Losing only four games all season (5th ranked SOS in the nation), once to formerly 4th ranked Minnesota, and thrice to 2nd ranked Wisconsin (these are all reasonable), they’ve exorcised their demons of years past of losing in a goalie duel. Hailey MacLeod has been phenomenal with a 93.2% save percentage this season. It may not be top-10 in the nation, but it is a meteoric improvement over Amanda Thiele’s 88.7% from a year ago.

Up front, this team is loaded with Superstar level producers. I haven’t assembled my NCAA D1 Production model yet, as I usually wait until right before the PWHL draft, but I don’t need a complex analytics model to tell you that Hilda Svensson (50p), (Olympic Gold Medalist) Joy Dunne (48p), Captain Jocelyn Amos (46p), Sloane Matthews (43p), and Captain Emma Peschel (37p) are world class college hockey players. That group are just the headliners for the Buckeyes, as they have five other players who are close to a point per game pace.

This might be the greatest Ohio State women’s hockey team ever assembled, and with Nadine Muzerall behind the bench, their status as the top team in the nation heading into this weekend’s games can’t be understated.

 

2. Wisconsin (35-4-2)

Aside from Casey O’Brien, most of the stars from  the 2025 National Championship winning team returned to Madison for the 2026 season. Like Ohio State, they only lost four games all season (Twice to OSU and Twice to Minnesota) while playing the country’s eighth hardest schedule. (Olympic Gold Medalist) Ava McNaughton was as sturdy as ever in goal for the Badgers, posting a 94.1% save percentage, good enough for 8th in the country this season, and is once again the backbone of an incredible Wisconsin team.

The trio of Olympic Gold Medalists, Caroline Harvey (62p), Kirsten Simms (56p), and Laila Edwards (42p) were tremendous for the fourth year in a row. Harvey’s 2.0 PPG through 31 games played as a defender is one of the most absurd statlines I’ve ever seen, making her the most dangerous player on the ice whenever she’s out there. Beyond the big three, Lacey Eden (75p) actually leads the team in total points this year, while Cassie Hall (48p), Kelly Gorbatenko (47p), and Adela Sapovalivova (32p) are regular forces of nature in the attacking zone. Just like their rivals in Columbus, this team also has a horrifying level of depth scoring that I didn’t name in the blurb.

I’m not sure if I can call this the best Wisconsin Badgers team of all-time like I declared above, but it’s damn close. Harvey is comfortably the greatest women’s college hockey defender of all time, with only OSU alumnus Sophie Jaques being remotely in the conversation. Simms has two National Championship clinching goals to her name, and is looking to add a third. Mark Johnson will have this team ready to do what they’ve done more than anyone else in college hockey–win.

 

3. Penn State (33-5-0)

After a decade of clawing at the door of the Frozen Four, the Nittany Lions have finally earned their seat at the table. With five losses all season, three of them came to fellow Frozen Four members (2 against OSU and 1 against Northeastern), while AHA rivals Mercyhurst and RIT each got a game off them. The biggest knock on this group was their 33rd ranked SOS, but a win over Hockey East champion UConn in the quarterfinal showed that they can play with the best teams in the country.  Katie DeSa’s 93.9% save percentage is the best of her career, and her team will need her absolute best to hang in against at least one high powered WCHA offense in the Frozen Four.

Tessa Janecke (46p), a Patty Kazmaier Finalist, the Captain, and an Olympic Gold Medalist, headlines this Penn State roster. Her point totals are not as overwhelming as some of the names listed above, but don’t mistake volume for impact. Down the lineup, Grace Outwater (40p), Madelyn Christian (34p), and Danica Maynard (33p) are her top offensive supporters, but this team boasts seven other players over the twenty point threshold.

Again, this is the greatest Penn State hockey team of all time, and this is the best season they’ve ever had already. I’m not ignorant enough to say that they have nothing to lose because everyone expects a WCHA Championship rematch in the final, but this is already a banner year for this program that will be talked about for years to come. Any more wins are just syrup on the sundae.

 

4. Northeastern (29-8-1)

I apologize for the Northern Attitude-bias that’s about to seep into this blurb. Every college hockey team likes to put “Burn the Boats” in their captions on Instagram, but Northeastern has been living it since 15 December 2025. After 48 years as the home of Huskies Women’s Hockey, the legendary Matthews Arena closed its doors, leaving this group without a true home to come back to, and as of last week, all that remains is the ground it stood on for over 100 years. In the best tribute this team could have paid it as the last tenant standing this season, this Frozen Four appearance means a little more than 2021, 2022, and 2023. Lisa Jönsson has been lights out, as is the tradition of Northeastern goalies, posting a 94.2% save percentage this season. With the nation’s 21st ranked SOS and a loss in the Hockey East Championship game to UConn, there were doubts about this team’s ability to get here, but a dominant 4-2 win over Minnesota in the quarterfinal put those doubts to bed.

Stryker Zablocki (44p) and Lily Shannon (43p) have been the life blood of the Northeastern offense. Relative to the teams above, the Huskies only have five other players over the twenty-point threshold, putting them behind the pack in scoring efficiency. They’ll rely on their steady defense and Jönsson to hold down the fort until they can affect the scoreboard.

This Northeastern team lacks the firepower and the world class goaltending of years past (Alina Müller, Chloé Aurard, Maureen Murphy, Aerin Frankel, and Gwyneth Philips) but they still made it to the Frozen Four. This isn’t the PWHL, these aren’t best-of-five series. All it takes at the collegiate level is that one game to capture the ultimate prize.

 

Looking Ahead

 

Friday – 4:00pm EDT – ESPN+

4. Northeastern
5. Ohio State

 

Friday – 7:30pm EDT – ESPN+

3. Penn State
4. Wisconsin

 

Sunday – 4:00pm EDT – ESPN+

1. / 4. TBD
2. / 3. TBD

 

I’m not bold enough to try to predict the outcome of any of these games, but I know that Duluth is going to be an incredible host city to make these games feel as significant as they are. Regardless of outcomes, this will be another significant weekend in women’s sports.

• Christian